Paris, Kentucky
Paris is a city in and the county seat of Bourbon County, Kentucky, United States. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area. Settled in 1775, it lies east of Louisville, on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. The town was originally known as Hopewell, Virginia when it was chartered in 1789. The name was changed in 1790 to reflect appreciation for French assistance during the Revolutionary War. Its tourism motto is "Horses, history and hospitality". Paris was first chartered as a city in 1862. In 1900, 4,603 people lived here; in 1910, 5,859; and in 1940, 6,697. The population was 9,183 at the 2000 census. Its ZIP code is 40361. Highlights The Main Street stretch of Paris, Kentucky, is a product of much time, effort, and money put into the preservation and revitalization of historic buildings downtown. With a handful of new restaurants garnering attention from the Central Kentucky region and beyond, a variety of downtown Paris businesses are reaping the benefits. The Main Street Program in Paris has been active since 1992, and has seen the renovation of 15 buildings in the past two years, with more renovations currently underway. Many projects have utilized façade grants administered through GOLD, a state-funded program that works with Renaissance on Main to reward communities that "take steps to revitalize and maintain vibrant, economically sound development in Kentucky's downtown areas", said Paris Main Street manager and tourism director Linda Stubblefield in a Chevy Chaser Magazine article (October 2008).http://www.smileypete.com Downtown Paris ARTWALK, sponsored by The Paris Main Street Program, and founded by Miranda Reynolds and Steve Walton, has become a major social and artistic event in the heart of downtown Paris.Paris, Kentucky's tourism sitePhotos of Paris, KentuckyParis (Kentucky) Live Journal site Kentucky Tourism.com The''' Nannine Clay Wallis Arboretum, located at 616 Pleasant Street, is a arboretum that is home to The Garden Club of Kentucky. Many of the trees on the grounds were planted in the 1850 when the house was built. Nannine Clay Wallis continued the tradition of planting the latest trees introductions when her father bought the property in 1900. New trees are always being added to the collection. Her daylilies and those hybridized by a former GCKY president, roses and other flowers are featured, also. Admission is free. '''The Hopewell Museum, located at 800 Pleasant Street, is free and open to the public on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons. The museum is closed the month of January. The Beaux Arts structure was built in 1909 and served as the area's first Post Office. Duncan Tavern, located in the Courthouse Square, is home to the Kentucky Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The stone structure was built in 1788 by Major Joseph Duncan and now houses an extensive genealogical collection. It is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday for tours, which are given at 10:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 3 pm. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $2 for children 6-12 and free for 5 and younger.